In June 1941, Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union with the intent to conquer and enslave its people. Over 2000 Russian women decided that wasn’t going to happen, and enlisted as snipers in the Soviet army. Digital artist Olga Shirnina is now telling their stories with vividly colourised photos.

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The female sharpshooters who entered the brutal and sordid front lines of WWII became a terror to German soldiers. The most notorious of them all, however, was Lyudmila Pavlichenko – also known as Lady Death. She skillfully executed over 300 Nazis, and was only lightly wounded during her years of combat. “We mowed down Hitlerites like ripe grain,” she once famously said, undeniably also referring to her comrades who lodged impressive kill counts of their own.

The newly colourised photos are the work of Russian photo retoucher Olga Shirnina, who goes by the nickname Klimbim and also works as a German translator. Shirnina shows a clear captivation with Russian history, and has also colourised photos of Vladimir Lenin, Josef Stalin, and Nicholas II.